Chinese Zoo Denies Their Bear Is Actually A Human In A Fur Suit, But Not Everyone Is Convinced

Following a viral video of one of its animals, a zoo in China has had to deny it actually being a human in a costume.

On July 27, a video of a bear at the Hangzhou Zoo was shared online, quickly going viral due to its content. In the video, one of the zoo’s bears is shown standing and waving to visitors in a suspiciously human way.

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Clips from other angles show the skin on the bear’s backside to be very wrinkled, resembling when someone wears an ill-fitting pair of pants.

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In an announcement on its social media, Hangzhou Zoo denied all claims that the bear was just a human in a suit, sharing that it is a Malaysian sun bear.

Different types of bears found around the world | Animal Spot

While many may think of black or grizzly bears when they hear the word, sun bears look very different from these two varieties. For one, sun bears are much smaller, averaging four to five feet in length from head to tail.

Male sun bears weigh up to 150 lbs, around half the size of an American black bear.

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Sun bears are also known to stand on their hind legs, with female bears carrying their children like humans do while sitting upright.

| Wildlife Friend Foundation Thailand

Hangzhou Zoo shared a post from the bear’s perspective, with Angela, the bear’s name, sharing some information about herself, including the fact that the bears are endangered.

Angela | Hangzhou Zoo

Other zoos also commented on the situation, sharing photos of sun bears in their enclosures.

We can confirm that Rotana IS a sun bear… pic.twitter.com/luci7tIUbT

— Edinburgh Zoo (@EdinburghZoo) August 1, 2023

Before anyone asks….yes, Monty is a REAL bear and not a guy in a bear suit. We're 99% sure;)#sunbear #realbear #zoo #knoxville #funnyvideo pic.twitter.com/LWhflNArIV

— Zoo Knoxville (@zooknoxville) August 1, 2023

Not everyone is entirely convinced by the explanation, leading to hilarious opinions online. Some even reference how a Japanese man recently went viral for spending several thousand dollars on a hyperrealistic dog costume.

“iTs A sUn BeAr” Ya, ya… sure – @LRodRadio pic.twitter.com/onrGurVHLa

— Virgin Radio Edmonton (@VirginRadioYEG) August 1, 2023

THAT MF IS NOT REAL https://t.co/N0iP1jrDVz

— Ichigo Niggasake (@SomaKazima) July 31, 2023

"It seems you don't understand [the bear] very well." https://t.co/jMIyhsIREa pic.twitter.com/etcsYC2bFi

— Sean (stands with SAG-AFTRA/WGA) (@sheentell) August 1, 2023